The effect of dietary protein on reproduction in the mare. I. The composition and evaluation of the digestibility of dietary protein from different sources.

This study examines the impact of different protein diets on horse reproduction by testing four different feeds and their protein and essential amino-acid digestibility on four Anglo-Arab stallions.

Objective of the Study

• The research aimed to determine the effect of dietary protein on the reproduction process in horses. The source and digestibility of the dietary protein were assessed through varied dietary plans.

Methodology

• Four dietary plans with distinct crude protein and essential amino-acid content were designed. These diets were provided to four Anglo-Arab stallions for determining the digestibility of proteins and essential amino acids.
• The different diets included:
  • Diet 1: 2 kg cubes, 5 kg tef hay (Eragrostis tef).
  • Diet 2: 2 kg cubes, 5 kg lucerne hay (Medicago sativa).
  • Diet 3: 2 kg cubes, 5 kg tef hay, 200 g fishmeal.
  • Diet 4: 2 kg cubes, 5 kg lucerne hay, 200 g fishmeal.

Results

• The replacement of tef hay with lucerne hay in the diets led to an increase in the total ration’s amino-acid concentrations, such as threonine, iso-leucine, leucine, and arginine.
• The addition of fishmeal to the diets increased the content of methionine and lysine, resulting in a wide-range of concentrations of digestible amino acids for each ration.

Conclusion

• The study shed light on how different sources of dietary protein, and their composition and digestibility, may affect horse reproduction. However, the exact impact on reproduction was not detailed in the abstract and would be discussed further in the full article.